Limox. “Accepting or changing the rules of the game when you are in power”

Some elected officials today explain that MPs have lost their power, are useless, and that Emmanuel Macron has weakened the legislature. We put the question to Mireille Robert, Member of Parliament for the Third District, elected in 2017 under the title LaRem, who may be a candidate for a new mandate.

Basic, simple! What is the MP for? Are you useful to the nation?

Yes, I have heard this little music, especially among some elected left. I understand the resentment of some elected officials or opposition MPs and the false impression that they are useless! The elected majority carries reforms, 400 laws during the five-year period, thus fulfilling its electoral obligations. The opposition defends its positions, challenges and tries to change the law proposed by the majority. It’s the rule of the game, you have to accept it or change it when you are in power! Under Nicolas Sarkozy, reform limited the rights of the opposition and has since become the current situation.

At the end of your term, what is your conclusion?

First of all, that of humility. Every day we have to submit to democracy, to the opinion of other parliamentarians. Not just the oppositions, but from his own group. It involves accepting the frustration of not being heard the way you want to. The difference happens through action. A good parliamentarian is diligent, deepens his files, works with time. You have to find people and convince them to defend your ideas and build appropriate texts. Bill means months of work, listening, consulting… I’ve changed so much in the past 5 years, I’m less radical! For example, on the issue of simplifying laws, we did, but not enough. Because it is not that simple and because parliamentarians act on the law and not the administration. Each law is the solution to a particular problem, but we must understand the reason before backtracking. It’s a more complex function than is said in the simplified discussions.

Do you find that there are too many parliamentarians and you need to reform the legislature?

This question comes up often. We would be very numerous and useless, but we come from regional groups with similar populations. If we reduce the number of representatives, the rural world will have fewer representatives. Off the field, we’ll be strict law technologists, and very quickly above ground. It’s not my concept of national representation. To represent people, we must be close to them, to be with them on earth. But our power is limited to the powers granted to us by the Constitution. We are not judges, mayors, mayors, or governors… Our role is to think, write, correct, dust off and vote on the law, using our meetings with citizens, associations, and elected officials. We are intermediaries between our citizens and institutions. Like many other members, I support strengthening Parliament, but it must be admitted that such reform is complex. The first thing for me is the realization that every member has the same strength, whether from the majority or from the opposition. I come from the world of associations, from citizen movements. I believe in discussion. The right reform is the one that will allow us to agree to discussions outside of artificial political constraints and opposition. I voted for opposition groups’ bills. I also voted against my group. Being a Member of Parliament means being open to others and knowing how to develop your ideas.